Madison sat in the field on an old bench she's built when she was younger. She held a photo album in her wrinkled, time battered hands. It's so pretty and sunny out today, she thought with a small smile.
With a deep breath she opened the small book to see a picture of Abby and her splashing each other in the pool back when she was just 15. Madison remembered that day, it was the beginning of summer and could remember how Abigail's eyes gleamed when she played with her in that old water.
She continued to go through the picture book filled with her and her friends. Mainly Abby and herself, but their were a few of their other old pals in there, too.
She stopped turning pages at one photograph, though. It the day she had gotten her first kiss from the love of her life.
***
"Come on, Mad! I've got to show you it before the sunsets completely!" Abigail yelled back to her winded best friend.
"I'm....coming..! Why are you...in such...a hurry,....anyways..?" Madison called from behind in short breaths. Abigail had always been more of the athletic type and was nothing short of a show-off. She'd always tease Madison for being a bit on the pudgy side by poking her in the tummy, calling her playful pet names like Chubby Bunny, and other annoying things.
"Because I have to show you something! That's what I've been telling you for the last half hour, pudding butt!" Abigail retorted, rolling her eyes.
Yes, Abigail was most certainly annoying. She was annoying, egotistical, overly-competitive, and as stated before, a show-off. But she was also kind, warm hearted, loving, and would go out of her way to make Madison happy. That was why Madison loved her.
It was true. She loved her best friend, who was a girl. She's loved Abigail for four years and if anyone ever found out.....
Well, let's just say her friend's reaction to her feelings would be the least of her problems.
"We're here!" Abigail exclaimed, wearing a proud grin.
Madison bent over, tiredly trying to catch her breath, but when she saw what her best friend brought her there to show her it was just taken away again.
It was the club house they played in when they were just kids. She'd completely forgot about it and there it was, standing as tall and strong as ever. Abigail had patched it up and cleaned it of course by replacing the ladder, fixing that old, rickety door, and giving it a new coating of a wine looking red paint.
"You like it?" Abby whispered in her ear as she hugged her friend from behind. Madison blushed as she felt Abigail's warm body against hers and Abby's breath tickling her ear when she spoke did not help at all.
"Like it? Abby, it's beautiful. I'm amazed you even remember this place." Madison retorted, smiling from ear to ear at their old hide out.
"Well, come on! If you like it that much, I can't wait to see your face when you see the inside!"
They climbed up the ladder and entered the small tree house. Then what Madison saw pretty well knocked her socks off. A large window on the west side of the house let the sunset's rays into the club house and shone straight onto a small table. On top of the table laid a red and white checkerboard table cloth and a pizza next to to glasses of wine and the bottle it came from on the cloth.
"Ohmigod Abby, what is all this?" Madison said completely caught off gaurd, her hands covering her mouth.
"You don't like it?" Abigail asked, confused.
"No, no. I love it, but why would you do all of this?" Madison questioned.
"Because I......well, I..uh...look, can I just tell you after we eat?" Abby said, obviously hiding something.
So, they did. They sat down and ate the warm pizza. They made conversation, laughed at each others jokes, and just enjoyed each others company. Abigail apologized for not getting classier food and Madison just shrugged, saying pizza was classy for people their age. Then they laughed some more, until all the food was gone.
Abigail pulled out a black handled switch blade and cut in the wood of the tree 'A + M' surrounded by a heart.
"Abby, what are you-"
"Madison Smith, I love you."
And with that, Abigail leaned in and they kissed. Her lips were soft and warm on Madison's and when Madison wrapped her arms around her friend's neck, kissing back she felt a smile tug at Abby's lips.
They broke apart and looked in eachother's eyes. Then Madison remembered something.
She reached down and pulled the camera out of her pocket she had brought, thinking they where just going for a walk and would maybe see something cool.
"Let's take a picture, so that when we're older we can look back and remember today." Madison said, holding out the camera a good distance and they both smiled as it flashed.
***
Madison took the picture out of the book, smiling in remembrance. She arose from the bench slowly as to not hurt her joints and began walking up to an old tree. Right before it's base laid a grave stone.
She carefully put the picture and a vase of flowers before it.
"I told you, Abigail. When we were older, we would look at the photograph and remember. I just wish I wasn't looking at it alone."
A/N: Not going to lie. That really hurt to write the end. I prefer to write happy endings, but I couldn't help this one. Inspired by Photograph by Nickleback.
